The Last Dance
by Mr Emerid
Summary: The Last Time you'll see Lance again. This is the End. Though I got a Comment aobut someone wantin' to Write about Duncan? Well Give me an Email and Let's hear the idea!


THE LAST DANCE  
  
  
  
  
Oh how things had changed.   
Lance? Still married to Sabrina of course. Things had been great. Hitmonchan and the Bruisers? They Still were there.   
Okay, so his homelife HADN'T changed much. Yet, there were things around him that HAD.   
Working at the Saffron College? Exquisite work. Running a Strict class could be one of the hardest things he'd ever done. He was OVERLY Qualified To teach the differences in Genetics of Pokemon, hell, he had dealt with them for a good four years or more. The Bitch was the Individual Students, the Problematic Lives they led, the way he affected them. Oh, the Tangled webs Humanity weaves.  
And Sabrina? Well, HER life hadn't changed much. Still at the Gym, though she'd taken a year or two off for a personal reason that was between Her and Lance. She had this interest in Golf now, It was the strangest thing really. Of course, when playing with Hitmonchan She sometimes used her telekinetics for a SMIDGEON of Cheating, but hey, nothing that Hitmonchan Didn't do.  
And Hitmonchan? Heh, He was in charge of a litter of Hitmontops and Tyrogues at Home now, training them and teaching them how to fight respectably, but also be able to Defend themselves by any means necessary. Other than that, he Was still the same poker playin', cheating, Fighting Master that he had always been.  
The Bruisers? Helping around the House, mostly. Kangaskhan was quite the Clean freak after a while, and pretty much Helped Sabrina keep the house up. Hitmonlee had Become more spiritual and Had acquired many Books and Other such things, and was helping the 'Tops and 'Rogues in the quest of Spiritual Harmony. Scyther and Pinsir had a thing for Gardening, and managed to crossbred many species of Flowers, getting some Media attention of a minor sort. Electabuzz Had Taken up Mechanical Engineering, and was now putting various things together.  
Parks' Gym? Still the same. Russ was still top Leader there, Ash and Misty had retired a while ago and were livin' it up in Celadon last he heard. The Gym had a Tour now, and Area 13 had become open to public, which radically changed the way The World looked at Pokemon, and changed their relationship forever.  
But, There was One person that Lance had kept in contact with. One Person that was an integral part of his life.  
  
It was a normal evening, Lance in the backyard doing some grilling on a Barbecue Electabuzz had constructed. He didn't much like Grilled food, but he promised to try it for 'buzz's Peace of mind, and it was working quite well. Hitmonchan and the Bruisers were inside, getting the 'Rogues and 'Tops ready for dinner as Sabrina Sat outside, talking with Lance.  
"Dear, You're burning the Meat." She chuckled.   
"I am not. See?" He Held up a piece of steak with a spatula.  
"Is it Suppose to be black?" Lance peered closer at it.  
"……Yes…" He said defiantly. She laughed, then used her telekinetics to Flip the Steak into a bowl.  
"Oh C'mon! I could've done that!"  
"True, but Then you would've let the REST of it burn." She said, pointing to the rest of it. He quickly flipped it over, Frowning.  
"Nobody said I was much of a cook." He said, putting another piece into the bowl. She laughed and got up, hugging him and putting her head on his shoulder.  
"True, but you are good at other things.."  
"Yes, Burning Toast."  
"Laaanccee…"  
"Yeah, I know what you meant. Why don't you get Duncan Ready before Hitmonchan Cons him into a pre-dinner card game?" Lance said, giving her a kiss on her forehead. She grinned and gave him one back, then walked inside, leaving Lance to the Grill. He Smiled warmly, then went back to tending to the meat, Until…  
"I see Grilling isn't one of you're many Strong Points Old Nemisis…" Lance smirked a bit, then turned toward his Fence. Of course, he Saw HIM there. The Short, well, it used to be short but now it was in a pony tail behind his head. The Sunglasses covered the patch over his eye, But he knew who it was. He was sitting on the fence, his legs dangling over the side in blue jeans. He had a black shirt on also, and he hopped down to the ground with his hands in his pockets. He looked Lance Straight in the eyes.  
"Hello Vinny." Yes, the Former Team Rocket Member, he was here. Lance Didn't feel afraid for one moment. He had been popping up for the last few nights, but for what reason, Lance Really didn't know.  
"You will never cease calling me that, Will you?" He said, a soft smile on his face. Lance Shook his head.  
"Nah, it's a nickname that will stick with you forever, Vinny."  
"Very Well. You are still burning the Meat, Let me show you how it's done." He Said, picking up a spatula of his own. He Flipped the meat over, prodding it with the cooking Utensil as Lance stared at his former enemy.   
"You must monitor the density. When it is undercooked, it is quite squishy. When it is Properly Done, it will have a slight Bounce back, but will be much more firm. Also, note the darkness of the meat. You should have really cut slits into the meat to let the inside cook more and the Marinade seep in for a more delicious Taste." Vincent Explained, motioning to the meat with the spatula.  
"Whodathunkit? Vinny The Skinny, a Cook." Lance chuckled.\  
"Yes well, if I hadn't been here you would have OVER cooked it, leaving it dry and tasteless."  
"Speaking of which, WHY are you here?" Lance asked as Vincent placed two pieces into the bowl. He was silent for a moment, choosing his words wisely.  
"I came here to talk. These last few nights have been…Beneficial to my Personal Psyche and Mental well being."   
"You'll have to explain that bit to me. Over the years, we've done things to each other that STILL haunt us. If Sabrina knew you'd been coming here, she'd have the police here, or Hunt you down herself." Lance said, a touch of anger in his voice. Vincent nodded slowly.  
"Yes, that is true. That..Incident with the Disruptor and the Gyarados. It Does weigh heavily on my mind, truly two of my most deceitful plays." He said, Remorse heavily accented in his words.  
"But then, Why haven't you told her Lance?" He asked, placing another piece of meat in the bowl.  
"You know, I don't know. Maybe I'm hoping that you've got some reason to be here. Maybe It's just cause it slips my mind, I don't know really." He Admitted, rubbing the back of his head.  
"Well, Consider tonight our Last Dance, metaphorically speaking. I promise tonight shall be the last time you see me." He said in a convicting tone.  
"Alright, how about you finish the meat, then we'll sit down out here and talk?" Lance Offered.  
"Agreed." And Then Vincent put the last piece of meat in the bowl. Lance picked it up and walked to the door and handed it to Hitmonchan, speaking to him quietly for a few moments. Hitmonchan Nodded slowly, then walked out of view.  
Lance walked to a chair and sat, then pointed to another for Vincent. He nodded and sat down in it, lookin at Lance.  
"Alright, how about you start with Why you're here?" Vincent leaned back, seeming to think for a few moments before putting his arms on his knees.  
"I came here To make Peace, in a sense. Not between Us Lance, because I have done many things to you and your family that cannot be forgiven. More so, I wanted Peace of mind. You see Lance, I was Kicked out of the Splintered Team Rocket group about three months ago." He Said quietly, still looking at Lance.  
"I'm so sorry." Lance said, in a tone completely devoid of remorse. Vincent just smiled knowingly.  
"Of course you're not. The Blow was a major one to my Mind, you see, because Team Rocket has been a major part of my life. Before I was even born, my parents were Team Rocket. My parents, you see, were not what you'd call….MODEL Parents. My mother, she was quite an addict of a particular drug, while my Father was a workaholic. You see, their mistakes in life haunted me not just mentally, but physically as well." With that, he took off his sunglasses, revealing his eye patch. Lance watched intently as he slowly flipped the patch up.  
Nothing. No Eye socket, no missing eye. Just smooth flesh. Lance twitched, and Vincent brought the eye patch back down.  
"Oh Man.." Lance said softly, gulping.  
"Genetic Defect. I was born with this, I will Die With this, but that's not where it ends. You see, My parents left me an Emotional wreck when they died on a mission. I ended up Embracing what ruined their lives, Team Rocket. I worked hard, I worked long to achieve what my father dreamed. I was in the Top, I was in the Elite Circle for years you see, until I met you. Your constant defeats of myself and various Plans had me demoted. I became even more emotionally unbalanced as the defeats piled up. Then, When Team Rocket Was shattered, I sought but one thing, and That was YOU. I wanted you to pay for ruining my life, because in a twisted way I think I blamed you for taking away that remaining semblance of Normalcy in my life." Vincent stopped a moment, thinking on his words.  
"I'm sorry you saw it that way. I was doing what I thought was Right at the time." Lance said, in a genuine aspect of remorse.  
"Don't be sorry, You were right in your actions. After…After our last tussle, The members of my group plotted against me, and finally threw me out. I tried to join others, but I was outcast immediately because of the past defeats you wrought on me. So, I ended up hitting the Bottom of the Barrel, I was living on the streets. I was a despicable Street Rat who lived on scraps and saw no meaning to life." He Stared directly into Lances Eyes with a fierce intensity now.  
"Until I saw you again, Walking towards that College. I looked at you, and I saw what I had craved all these years. A Perfect life. In a Twisted way, I guess that's why I was always so obsessed with you, I was jealous." He took a breath, the memories coming back quite painfully now.  
"I admit, I went lower when I saw you. I plotted to kill you once and for all, to rid myself of you so I wouldn't have to look at my own failures. I stole a rifle one day…and I followed you." Lances face was stone hard as he looked at Vincent.  
"That Day, I was intent on finishing you. Then, I saw myself in a window as you walked on a sidewalk towards a kindergarten. I looked at myself, at what I had become, and it Disgusted me. I was going to kill you, why? So I'd become satisfied with my life? I realized if I killed you, then I'd have to kill myself." Lance Opened his mouth to speak, but Vincent held up a hand.  
"Let me finish, I can't stop now. I would have to kill myself, because then I really would have hit bottom. I would have turned your wife into a Widow, And You wouldn't see Duncan become someone as good as yourself, And he would have become just as twisted, just as scarred as I. I couldn't have lived with myself if I doomed another child to a suffering like my own. So, I threw the gun in a Dumpster, and Checked myself into a Mental Institute. And Now…" Vincent stopped, seemingly trying to talk through the Lump in his throat.  
Lance sat for a moment, just taking this in due to the silence between the two. He finally opened his mouth.  
"And Now?"  
"Now, I want Closure. I know you won't forgive me, but I wanted to at least explain in someway the Suffering that I caused to you. I wanted you to at least KNOW. I wanted to at least be able to do that, to get on with my life." Vincent said. Lance sighed, then looked at Vincent in an odd way.  
"I don't really know what to say Vincent. You have done so much shit to me and my Family. I do Understand you're need for closure. In a way, I'm glad I at least now know WHY you were so obsessed with me all these years…and I think.." Lance was interrupted when the door next to him opened, and a small two year old walked out.  
"Daddy, Mommy wan's t' know if ya' gyonna eet." HE said. Vincent looked at the youngster, grinning. The Child had short brown hair, but emerald eyes as he looked up at Lance.  
"Of course Duncan." Lance said, grinning softly. The Two year old looked at Vincent.  
"Who dat?" He asked. Lance bent over, Picking up Duncan and letting him sit in his arms as he stood up.  
"An Old Friend of Daddy's…." Vincent got up, putting his hands in his pocket.  
"I guess I should be going then.." Vincent Started.  
" That Daddy's gonna invite in for dinner…what do you say to that huh?" Lance said, looking at Vincent.  
"Okee!" Duncan giggled, Hugging Lance around the neck. He grinned and walked to the door, opening it up.  
"Well Vinny?" Lance asked, holding it open. Vincent just stared for a moment as Duncan looked at him, blinking.  
"Vinny, Things happen. We Don't like them, but the Last Dance doesn't mean the Last chance all the time." Emmy Said Softly. Vincent gulped.  
Vincent walked over to Lance and looked him in the eyes. He didn't see a fierce fighter that had challenged him over the years, He didn't see a horror in his life that had caused him suffering.  
He only saw what Lance truly was. A Normal man that had been shoved into the craziness, and walked out stronger than before. Vincent realized, he could do that also, all he had to do?   
Take that last Step, right into the House. Right out of the Craziness.  
Would he Take it? Or did he want to Leave it and Get back into the Craziness, letting it once again rule his life? Would this be a step in the right direction for Vincent, or would it lead to more pain? Was he willing to take this chance?  
He Grinned broadly, nodded once, and Stepped inside the house.  
  
  
Authors note: That's it. The End of Lance. The End of my Pokemon stories. These last few years writing, I've felt great pride in Writing about lance and his Tales of Misery, Happiness, and Struggle. Now that it has finally come to an end, all I can say is that I couldn't have possibly done better, or had a greater bunch of fans. Is this the end of ym Writing? No. I got Columns up once a month at www.lit.org, I've restarting Writing a FEw of my original Series. For my last words, I got just this to end the Lance Chronicles. Oh and of course a Second Line.  
"Always gone that extra mile  
Depended on you all the while  
Even in the good and bad times  
You will see  
From now on until our journey's end  
You know you can always count on me."  
  
Yep, from that 2.B.A Master track. Now this one is from it alsom and with it I send you all off on your merry way, And Remember the tales of The Lance Saga, and please don't flame me.  
  
"I close my eyes  
And I can see  
The day we met  
Just one moment and I knew  
You're my best friend  
'Do anythiny  
For you  
  
We've gone so far  
And done so much  
And I feel  
Like we've always been together  
Right by my side  
Through thick and thin  
You're the part of my life  
I'll akways remember  
  
The time has come  
It's for the best I know it  
Who could've guessed that you and I ...  
Somehow someday  
We'd have to say goodbye.  
  
You've helped me find  
The strength inside  
And the courage  
To make all my dreams come true  
How will I find  
Another friend  
Like you  
  
Two of a kind  
That's what we are  
And it seemed  
Like we were always winning  
But as our team  
Is torn apart  
I wish we could go back to the beginning  
  
The time has come  
It's for the best I know it  
Who could've guessed that you and I ...  
Somehow some way  
We'd have to say goodbye.  
  
Somehow today...  
...we have to say goodbye.."  
  
  
LANCE PARK  
1994-2001  
"Flights of Angels Shall Sing thee to thy rest, and The Pen shall immortalize You forevermore."  



End file.
